Letter-file.



No. 890,008. V PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. V

P. H. YAWMAN.

LETTER .FIL

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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Witnesses. Inventor.

W Q W %W W Attorney.

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m 0 9 1 9 E N U I. D E T N E T A. P M MI P. m n E L P. a O 9 8 0 N APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 3,190 1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses.

Inventor.

Attorney.

UNITE srarns ra'rnnr OFFICE.

PHILIP I'I. YAWMAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LE TTE R-FILE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP II. YAwMAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw.- ings, forming a part thereof, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to rovide an improved letter file or binding case adapted particularly to contain letters, bills or other papers and when in the closed position to protect its contents from dust and from becoming displaced.

The invention has for its further object to provide a file or case that is simple and cheap in construction and one that may be folded comparatively fiat for shipment in knockdown form and be readily set up by the user, without the requirement of especial skill, to

' form a complete structure.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain improvements in construction and combination of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a perspective view of a file or binding case constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the end flaps in an open position. Fig. 3, is an end view of the file in a folded or knockdown position. Fig. 4, is a sectional view on the line 0ca3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the locking devices.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

In the drawings I have shown a box or receptacle adapted to be constructed preferably of asteboard or similar light 'material embodylng the broad side panels 1 and 2 and the narrow top and bottom panels 3 all of which may be formed from a single piece of sheet material scored or creased and reinforced if desired to form the corner lines 4 on which the panels may be bent to form a hollow rectangular body or shell. The forward end of the shell is open and ada )ted to re eeive a slide, shown partly withtfrawn from the shell in Fig. 1, consisting of thefront panel 5 and the rearwardly extending flaps 6 corresponding to the: panels 1 and 2, and its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1901.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No. 62,864.

opposite end is adapted to be closed and is provided with suitable interlocking devices, as will be further described, whereby the end portions may be retained in said closed posiftion and the shell supported in a rectangular orm.

Formed at'the rear ends of the top and bottom panels 3 are looking flaps 8, as will be further described, adapted to be folded inwardly upon the creased or scored lines 9, and also formed on the panels 1 and 2 are end flaps 10 and 11 arranged to fold on the scored or hinge lines 10 and 11 and to overlap as shown in Figs. 1 and 4., and in this manner the rear end of the box is closed and made dust proof. The former flap 10, however, is formed slightly narrower than the width of the panels 3 so that its edge will not engage the inner surface of panel 2 when in a closed position.

In order to secure the parts in their normal position I employ a simple engaging device which securely holds the end flaps in position and maintains the receptacle in a rectangular position. At the rear end of the panel 1, in the scored line 10 and near the ends thereof are provided apertures 15 in which the hooked ends 16 of catch plates 17 are arranged, so that they lie within the end flap 10, when the latter is positioned, and also with the end of the hook slightly below the surface of the panel 1. The plates 17 are located upon the inner side of the panel and are provided with the ears 18, which pass through slits or apertures 19 and are bent down, as shown, to securely fasten the hooks in position. Mounted on the end flap 11 are similar plates 20, secured by ears 21, similar to the plates 17, and provided with ends 22 extending over the edge of the flap-and provided with the lips 23, having their edges extending beneath the ends 22 to form a bevel portion thereon, as shown, and providing cooperating locking members adapted to engage the hooks or catches 16 to lock the parts in their normal position.

In setting up the file or case from the knockdown position shown in Fig. 3, the operator has simply to move it into the position shown in Fig. 2, by bending the panels 1, 2 and 3, 3, on the creased or scored lines 4. The flaps 8 on the ends of the panels 3, 3, are then bent inwardly, and moved considerably beyond their normal position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1., when the flap 10 is bent downwardly, after which the end flap 11 is positioned and the locking members 23 thereon engagedwith the hooks or members 16. This being easily accomplished by a slight pressure of the fingers opposite each of the plates 20 which will cause the beveled faces of the lips 23 to depress the hooks 16 until they pass into engagement therewith. The file or case is now ready to receive the slide, the flaps 6 of which upon being inserted in the shell will engage the locking flaps 8 to move them rearwardly beneath the hooks 16 thereby preventing the latter from being disengaged from the members 23. It will be readily seen that the locking members may be disconnected, if for any reason it is desired to return the receptacle to its original folded condition, by bending the looking flaps inwardly, removing them from beneath the hooks 16, when the end of the panel 1 maybe depressed, the end flap 10 allowing suflicient movement thereof to disengage the hooks 16 and 23.

The shell or binding case may of course be composed of separate panels flexibly united at their edges in any convenient manner but the construction I have described enables me to form it of a single piece of card board the ends of which may be united to give it a tubular form by means of a pasting strip 25 provided at the end of said sheet of material and located at the edge of one of the panels 3, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the sheet thus secured are further strengthened by a binding strip 26 of cloth or similar material and the forward edges of theshell are also covered by a binding 27 which prevents the material from being broken or injured as well as lending a finished appearance to article.

The construction I have shown is simple and inexpensive and I am enabled to produce a device that may be readily set up by an inexperienced operator and while it is particularly adapted for binding cases it may be likewise employed for boxes and other devices. v

I claim as my invention:

1. In a letter case, the combination with a collapsible tubular shell, overlapping end flaps, one of which constitutes an outer flap and extends from one side of the shell to the other and a hook member on the free edge of said flap, having an end extending laterally of said edge and carrying a downwardly extending hook at its free end, of a latch memher on the side of the shell having an end interlocking the end of the hook.

2. In a file ease, the combination with a collapsible tubular shell comprising side panels and a locking member on one panel having a hooked end arranged within the outer face and end of said panel, of a flap on the opposing panel and a similar member on the flap extending laterally of the edge of the flap and having a downwardly extending hook at its end arranged beyond the inner face of the flap to engage the corresponding end of the other member.

3. In a letter file, the combination with a body having side panels and top and bottom panels, one of the side panels having an end flap provided with an aperture at the base of the panel, a catch member on said side panel having an engaging end lying in the aperture and a second [lap on the opposite side panel adapted to overlap the first mentioned flap, of a locking member on the outside flap extending transversely of the edge thereof and having a hook at the end of the transversely extending portion to enter into said aperture and cooperate with the catch member.

4. The combination with a knock-down file case embodying a shell having side panels and top and bottom panels, one of said pan els having an end flap and provided with an aperture extending into the base of the panel and flap, of a catch member on said side panel having an end lying in the portion of the aperture in the base of the panel, a second flap on the opposing side panel and a locking member thereon having an end extending laterally from the flap and a downwardly extending hook member at the end of the laterally extending portion adapted to extend into said aperture and cooperate with the catch.

5. The combination with a knock-down letter file embodying a shell having side panels and top and bottom panels and end flaps on the side panels, one of the latter being provided with an aperture, the end portions of which lie in the panel and end flap, of

a plate attached to said panel having a hooked end lying in the end of the aperture, a similar plate secured to the outer face of the end flap of the opposing panel, having an end extending laterally of the edge of the latter and carrying a hook adapted to enter said aperture and engage the other. plate. PHILIP H. YAI/VMAN.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RroH, ELIZABETH J. PERRY. 

